PROCEEDINGS OB^ THE BOARD OF REGENTS. XIX 



FKEEK COLLECTION. 



Senator Henderson, in the absenee of Doctor Angell, Chairman, 

 and on liehalf of the committee appointed to visit Detroit and inspect 

 the art collection of Mr. Charles L. Freer, presented a report, which 

 was very fully discussed; and as it was deemed best that the matter 

 should be considered at a subsequent meeting- of the Board, at which 

 a fuller attendance might be expected, Senator Piatt offered the fol- 

 lowing resolution, which was adopted: 



Resolved, That the Board of Regents take this occasion to express their sincere 

 tlianks to Mr. Charles L. Freer, of Detroit, for the courtesy shown to the committee 

 of the Regents which recently visited Detroit to examijie his art collection; and that 

 further consideration of his generous offer to donate the same to this Institution fir 

 the United States be continued until the next meeting of the Board of Regents. 



GIFT OF BOTANICAL COLLECTION. 



The Secretary stated that Capt. John Donnell Smith, of Baltimore, 

 had donated to the Institution his entire l)otanical collection, compris- 

 ing 1(H),0()0 plants and nearh" 1,600 books on botany. There were no 

 conditions, except that the donor reserved the right to continue to 

 work upon the collection. 



Doctor White offered the following resolution, which was adopted: 



Resolved, That the thanks of the Board of Regents be tendered to Capt. Jolm 

 Donnell Smith for his generosity in presenting to the Institution his large and val- 

 uable collection of plants and books on botany, which is gratefully accepted. 



FINAL DISPOSITION OF SMITHSON's REMAINS. 



The Secretary reviewed the report presented to the Board at the 

 meeting- of Januaiy 25 by the committee charged with the tinal dis- 

 position of Smithson's remains, and said that he hoped that at some 

 future time Congress would make an adequate appropriation for giving 

 these remains a fitting interment; but that so far as he had been able 

 he had given present effect to the mandate of the Board by depositing 

 them temporarily within the building in a small room which he had 

 had fitted up on the immediate left of the north entrance to the 

 laiilding. 



The remains had been examined by medical experts and found to be 

 in a remarkable state of preservation. They had now been put in a 

 suitable casket and were ready to be transferred to the tomb, and he 

 woald ask the Regents, when the meeting had adjourned, to proceed 

 to the room and witness the deposit of the casket. 



After remarks on the condition of the work of the Institution, the 

 Board adjourned, and the Regents repaired to the room referred to, 

 where, in their presence, the casket was placed within the tomb, which 

 was then sealed. 



